My last post explored using roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons to create a Hell Week scenario experience for your staff. With the aim of creating a bonding experience for teams, leaders and new starters. In this post I aim to develop a scenario/event that you could use to create this type of experience.
Event Goals
Before we start, it is essential to understand the goals of the event and work out from there. This event is designed to be run for groups of new leaders in an organization. These are high performing individuals tipped for future leadership positions or newly promoted into one.
The goal of the event is to foster a sense of team and belonging amongst the future leadership of the business. This will achieved through overcoming shared adversity.
Overview of the Hell Week Scenario
In an effort to keep the hell week scenario outside of the lived experience of the cohort but allowing for high pressure the scenario will focus on escaping from a submarine. Participants will be allocated different roles/skillsets and work together to escape. A series of tasks requiring multiple skillsets will need to be prioritized and completed against time pressures. Additionally, surprise events throughout the scenario will add additional pressure, upsetting any planning. Adaptability and teamwork will be essential in beating the scenario.
In addition, each participant will have six endurance points that are lost if tasks are failed. They can also be traded in to help improve the likelihood of success. However, when the last point is lost the player is out of the scenario.
The player briefing might look something like the following:
Congratulations on joining our team! We believe in hands-on training to prepare you for real-world challenges ahead. In this immersive training scenario, you will find yourself a crew member of a sinking research submarine. Your mission is to work together to overcome a series of challenges and escape before it’s too late. Remember, teamwork, communication, and quick thinking are essential. Good luck!
Duration: 2 hours
Location: Office setting or conference center. Smaller rooms preferred.
Required Props and Setup to Enhance Immersion
As discussed in my last post immersion is really important. Of course, you don’t need a full on mock up of a submarine. But there are some simple things you can do to help create a sense of place out with the normal office environment.
- Submarine Environment: Create a makeshift submarine environment by shifting tables and chairs into a series of spaces along a thin column Alternatively, set up in a corridor to give an improved sense of the enclosed space. Additionally, turn off overhead lights and use desk lights with blue/green lighting gels to mimic the underwater setting. Having a red alarm light will definitely add to the sense of urgency when it goes off.
- Sound Effects: Use a portable speaker to play submarine sounds, alarms, and underwater noises. This can be used as a timed track signaling surprise events and highlighting the sense of urgency.
- Props:
- Flashlights
- Walkie-talkies or two-way radios
- Gauges to indicate hull integrity and oxygen levels
- Life vests
- Clipboards with task instructions
- Stopwatch
- Nautical maps and charts
- First-aid kit
- Ropes and carabiners
- Puzzles or challenges related to navigation and communication
- Instructor/Facilitator: You will need someone to facilitate the scenario and provide guidance when necessary.
Training Scenario Schedule
Below is a proposed schedule of the hell week scenario.
- Briefing (15 minutes):
- Gather all participants and explain the scenario.
- Emphasize the importance of teamwork, quick decision-making, and effective communication.
- Assign roles to each participant (e.g., captain, engineer, navigator, medic, radio operator etc) and distribute their respective skills and tasks.
- Submersion and Initial Challenges (20 minutes):
- Participants enter the makeshift submarine (clearly demarcated).
- Turn on the sound effects to create an immersive atmosphere.
- The submarine begins “sinking.” Water and pressure-related challenges arise.
- Participants must address immediate issues like water leakage, pressure indicators, and stabilizing the vessel. Limited resources, must prioritize tasks.
- Navigation and Communication (20 minutes):
- Provide a nautical map with coordinates.
- Participants must collaborate to determine their location and chart a course to safety.
- Encourage the use of walkie-talkies for communication between navigation and the steering team.
- Obstacle Challenge (15 minutes):
- Present a challenge that requires participants to work together to overcome an obstacle (e.g., blocked hatch or damaged equipment).
- They must use ropes, carabiners, and problem-solving skills to succeed.
- Medical Emergency (10 minutes):
- Simulate a crew member’s injury.
- The medic must provide first aid while others maintain the vessel and continue with the mission.
- Countdown to Escape (20 minutes):
- Introduce a time constraint and associated red lights and klaxon.
- Announce that the submarine’s condition is deteriorating rapidly.
- Participants must complete their tasks and navigate to the surface before it’s too late.
- Debriefing (20 minutes):
- After the scenario, gather the team and discuss their experiences.
- Encourage feedback, focusing on what went well and what could be improved.
- Highlight the importance of adaptability, teamwork, and problem-solving under pressure.
- Final Remarks (10 minutes):
- Conclude the training with a reminder of key takeaways.
- Reiterate the importance of quick thinking, clear communication, and collaboration in real-life situations.
Further Work
While I have listed each of the tasks above in a linear series, it would be better to have tasks overlapping. Teams must then prioritize tasks. Remember, failed tasks remove endurance points from participants, adding additional pressure. Endurance points can also be traded for clues and assistance.
Perhaps you can restrict the number of people in each section of the submarine and create time penalties for movement between the sections. This would emphasize the use of walkie talkies for communication. It would also highlight the need for clear and concise communication between different sections of the submarine.
Each task needs more work around the detail, but I think this gives the picture of how an event like this might work. I for one would love to experience it. Part escape room, part rpg, part leadership learning experience. For me it ticks all the boxes.
What do you think? Would this hell week scenario work? Is there anything you would add? Have you attended something similar?